The man with the stoic demeanour
by Undeniable Mystique
Summary: A series on oneshots about Rude of the Turks and his innermost feelings about a certain barmaid. I do believe Rude does not get as much justice as he deserves, So I decided to write afic about him. Please leave your comments in the form of a review thanks
1. The stoic man

**The man with the stoic demeanour**

He was the man who lived a "no-nonsense" lifestyle. He followed the orders of his boss at work and spent sufficient time with his circle of friends. He lived a life of solitude outside his professional life, but he was not unhappy. He was Rude of the Turks.

Now Rude was a man who always kept his emotions under check. He would hardly ever let a blush creep up his cheeks, or a smile lift his lips unless those actions were absolutely genuine. He was a man of few words, for he did not like to speak unless necessary. The polar opposite of his co-worker and best friend Reno, Rude lived a well-balanced life with little or no complications. His life was good, except for one major predicament.

Rude of the Turks was in love with a woman, and he had no way of expressing himself to her. That woman was Tifa Lockheart, barmaid, AVALANCHE member, and also the most intriguing woman Rude had ever met.

* * *

**Author's note:** So what do you all think? I personally like this fic so far and plan on continuing it. It won't be a romance exactly, just Rude's thoughts about Tifa and such. Oh, and I got this idea from that that moment in the game where Rude admits to Reno that he likes Tifa. I thought that part was too cute to pass up. Anyway, this note is too long now, so Review please! Ciao 


	2. waiting at Gongaga

-Waiting at Gongaga-

Reno and Rude of the Turks were waiting for Cloud and his gang to arrive at Gongaga Village. They had been waiting there for nearly an hour, and Rude was getting quite tired of listening to Reno talk about a girl he had met.

"…So I asked her out and guess who has a date?"

"You?" Rude was not particularly enthused. Reno always found ways to impress one woman or another.

"Hell, yes!" Reno punched the air and did a sort of jig. Rude looked at him in amusement. He could never imagine himself being like Reno. He was so meticulous in his work that he hardly thought about much else, let alone women. Actually, there was one woman who occasionally liked to burst into his thoughts and invade his dreams…He quickly shook his head and focused on the job at hand. The Turks had been ordered by President Rufus to protect the reactor at Gongaga, as AVALANCHE would soon be arriving there. Rude knew that there was a Shinra spy within AVALANCHE, but he did not know who it was, and he never asked lest he push his luck. Rude was not very fond of Rufus, but Rufus was the president of Shinra now, and had the power to fire him. Nor did Rude always agree with Rufus' orders. However, losing his job over arguing with Rufus and defying orders was not something Rude of the Turks would do.

"Hey, Rude, you listening?" Reno waved a hand in front of his face. Rude snapped out of his thoughts and focused on his job. Cloud could arrive at any minute, and they had to be alert.

Suddenly, Reno asked, "Hey Rude, who do you like?"

Rude turned his head away from Reno so fast his neck snapped. Rude didn't mind listening to Reno go on about his love life. When asked about his own women problems, however, Rude was not very thrilled to share.

"What are you getting embarrassed for? It's only a question."

Rubbing his neck, Rude turned back to Reno.A slight blush was apparent on his cheeks. "Tifa" he said after a while.

"Hmmm…that's a tough one but poor Elena…she and you…" Reno had a hint of amusement in his voice, which almost made Rude flinch. He did not like his secret exposed, and then taken so lightly.

"No, she likes Tseng."

"But he likes the ancient."

"…He…?" Rude was cut off mid speech as he heard another voice say, "What are they talking about?" He and Reno whipped around to hear Elena reply, "It's so stupid!They always talk about who they like or don't like. But Tseng is different..." She trailed off and looked back and forth between the two Turks and Cloud. Suddenly, the realization dawned on her, "Ah! Oh no! They're here! They're really here!". Elena ran up to Reno and Rude.

Reno shot Rude a strange glance before proceeding to attack the three AVALANCHE members. "Hmm… then it's time... Rude... Don't go easy on them even though they're girls."

Rude suppressed a grin and said, "Don't worry, I'll do my job"

"I'll report to Tseng!" Elena yelled as she ran off.

Rude looked at Tifa and almost halted his attack. Orders were orders, he reminded himself and Rude could not deliberately defy an order and lose his job, even if it meant never being able to have Tifa on his side.


	3. Mideel

-Mideel-

"We have information that AVALANCHE is heading towards Mideel. Our spy was a little late to give us this information, so when you get there, they should already be there. They reason you're to follow AVALANCHE is because they might lead you to Cloud. Your next mission is to find Cloud and bring him to Hojo's laboratory. Is everything clear?" Heidegger was standing in his office faced by two members of the Turks.

"Yes, sir!" Reno and Rude replied simultaneously.

"If there are no questions, you may leave."

The two Turks left Heidegger's office, both wondering why Hojo wanted Cloud so badly. As soon as they were out of the Shinra building, Reno voiced the question. "Why do you think Hojo wants Cloud?"

Rude, ever the epitome of stoicism, shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. He put on his trademark sunglasses (of which he kept a second pair in his jacket pocket, just in case) and got in the Shinra helicopter waiting for them outside the building. Reno followed suit, and the helicopter left Midgar, headed southeast for Mideel.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Mideel the inhabitants crowded around a young man who had washed ashore on the beach. Some local children taking a swim at the beach had discovered him. At first, the people of Mideel feared he was dead, but after the doctor was summoned, the young man was taken to the Mideel hospital and resuscitated.

"Quite a good-looking fellow. It's such a shame he's all alone, or else we would be able to identify him." The doctor said to a nurse helping him.

"Hopefully someone will come looking for him." The nurse said with a sidelong glance at the young blond man.

"I hope you're right. Such a pity…"

* * *

It took about three hours for the Turks to reach Mideel. They got off the helicopter a few miles away, and walked the rest of the way as not to make a noisy entrance.

"Looks like they're leaving" Reno pointed to Cid Highwind and Barret Wallace who boarding the parked airship, both looking solemn.

"Should we head back to the helicopter then?" Rude did not want to waste one moment.

"Wait! Where's the rest of them?" Reno scrutinized to see a figure emerging out of Mideel village. It was Tifa Lockheart. "What's going on?" Reno moved closer, followed by Rude to the airship to catch some of what Tifa was saying to Barret.

"Barret, I'm going to stay here with Cloud. I hope you don't mind…" Tifa spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. She was in tears.

"Of course, Tifa. Cloud needs you."

"Thanks, Barret." With that said, she ran back towards the village. Wallace shook his head and followed Highwind into the airship. Moments later, the Highwind flew up into the sky and out of sight.

Rude was unnerved. What had made Tifa so depressed? She appeared so strong-willed that it was hard to picture her in tears, yet here she was, crying as if she had lost something important. Rude was unnerved, indeed.

"I wonder what everyone's so sad about. Come on, Cloud must be in there. Let's go."

"Right behind you." Reno made a beeline for Mideel with Rude right on his tracks.

* * *

Meanwhile, the doctor and nurse watched the young woman, Tifa, crying in Cloud's lap as his body convulsed with the effects of mako poisoning.

"She must really love him." The doctor sighed as he watched the despairing sight.

"Yes she must. This is so sad…" the nurse whispered, wiping tears from her eyes.

Unbeknownst to them, two Turks were making their way to the hospital. Having asked the people of the village, Reno and Rude had found out that Cloud was in the hospital. They entered the hospital expecting a major confrontation, but what they saw stopped them in their tracks. There was Cloud, but something was obviously wrong with him. He was sitting on a wheelchair, his body slightly trembling. His eyes were unfocused and staring, his head was bobbing up and down, and he was mumbling something intelligible. Tifa was sitting on the floor in front of him, crying and softly whispering his name. The Turks stood gaping, speechless. Nothing could have prepared them for this.

Suddenly the doctor spotted them, and said, "Oh, are you two also friends of Mr. Strife?" Rude shook his head, and Reno muttered a hesitant "no, we're just leaving"

Tifa spun around at the noise and could not believe that Shinra employees were still after them.

"What are you two doing here?" She exclaimed, "Look, we're in no shape to deal with you right now. Leave!"

Reno scratched the back of his head while Rude searched for words to say.

"Well? What do you want?" Tifa glared at the two men.

"Ugh…uhh…" Cloud moaned from his chair.

"Cloud! It's Tifa. Can't you understand me?" She grabbed Cloud's hands and glared back at Reno. "What could you possibly want with him when he's in such a state?"

"What happened to him?" Rude spoke softly as he removed his sunglasses out of respect.

"Mako poisoning," The doctor explained. "He's been exposed to severe amounts of mako. It's a miracle he's still alive." He explained soberly. Tifa let out a sob and tears began to cascade down her cheeks. The doctor put a hand on her shoulder and turned to Rude. "I think you both should leave as you are upsetting her."

Rude gave Tifa a long sombre look, and turned around to leave. He paused at the doorway, looked back and after a while said, "Tifa. Don't worry, we won't tell the president about where you are."

Tifa and Reno both looked at Rude in surprise. For a few minutes, everyone just looked at each other.

After scrutinizing him for a few seconds, she realized he was being honest. "Thank you," Tifa said softly, and gave a small smile of appreciation.

"You're welcome." He nodded.

Reno stepped out the door first, and Rude followed, a single tear rolling down his cheek. He wiped it away, put on his sunglasses and joined Reno.

"You know we'll get into trouble if the boss finds out we knew and didn't tell him."

"I know, but some things are worth getting in trouble for." Thus said, Rude walked to the parked helicopter and climbed aboard.

"Hey," Reno exclaimed as he climbed in after Rude, "I didn't see anything if you didn't see anything"

Rude smiled in agreement.

* * *

From the hospital window, Tifa watched the Shinra helicopter until it disappeared into the sky. "Thank you." She whispered. 


	4. Seventh Heaven

-Seventh Heaven-

It was four in the morning and the Seventh Heaven bar in the rebuilt city of Midgar was still open. Usually, the bar was completely empty this late into the night, but tonight there were two men occupying two stools in front of the counter. The barmaid stood polishing a glass when she noticed the bald man staring at her. She gave him a reproachful look, and he immediately looked away, blushing scarlet. His red haired friend Reno watched with amusement as his best friend and co-worker interacted with the woman he had admired from afar for more than a year.

Rude and Reno had been working non-stop for the entire month working and running errands for their boss, and had gotten one Friday off from work which they had decided to enjoy. Well, Reno had decided anyway. It was he who forced Rude to go out drinking to the Seventh Heaven bar. Rude was reluctant to go there, as he knew Tifa was the barmaid. When Reno and Rude arrived in front of Seventh Heaven and saw Tifa tending bar, Rude almost tuned back. He knew that Reno had brought him to this specific bar for a reason. Reno noticed his friend's hesitation and grabbed his arm. "Come on, yo! Where else are we going to get good drinks from?" He asked in mock surprise. Rude was not too keen to make an intoxicated fool of himself in front of Tifa Lockheart. However, he sighed and followed his red-haired friend half-heartedly into the bar and sat down next to Reno. Without a word, Tifa poured them her best drinks and made a beeline towards a couple that seemed they were ready to order.

After a couple of drinks on Reno's part, and a little more than a few drinks on Rude's, he was starting to feel quite tipsy. He watched Tifa as she went from table to table filling drinks and avoiding the hands of intoxicated men who whooped at the attractive barmaid. Rude did not understand how Tifa put up with such behaviour, and inwardly flinched that he could do nothing to stop it.

Reno was watching Rude closely with a smirk on his face. He would occasionally say such things as "enjoying the scenery?" or "hmm…the bar seems to be occupied well tonight" at which Rude would look down at his glass and blush horribly (a rare feat for him). After a few hours, all the other costumers started to depart until Reno and Rude were the only people left in the bar. By this time, Rude was bordering on drunk and his usual sunglasses were nowhere to be found. He was also starting to feel nervous every time Tifa sent a glance in their direction.

Eventually Tifa walked up to the counter and cleared her throat in a way that clearly suggested that the two Turks had overstayed their welcome. She wished that Cloud would come back soon as she did not feel like dealing with Rude and Reno at the moment. It was not as if she was afraid of the two men, she was just too tired from the long night of serving alcohol to do much else. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and fall asleep. After a while, she let out a huge yawn so that the men would get the hint and leave.

Reno got the message, and looked at the dishelved Rude, "I think she wants us to leave, yo" he smirked as he looked from Tifa to Rude, who looked a little sick.

Rude suddenly got up from his seat, mumbled, "pardon me" and ran towards the bathroom. There was a sound of gagging followed by vomit hitting a toilet from the bathroom. With an apologetic look at the concerned Tifa, Reno ran into the bathroom to take care of Rude. Tifa had never imagined Rude to lose control like that. He always seemed so cool and collected. She shook her head and was about to call Cloud when she heard her name come from the direction of the bathroom. She curiously stepped closer.

"Dude, why did you drink so much?" Reno was scolding Rude. Now there was a first.

"I just wanted to stay here…" Rude's voice sounded hoarse, "Tifa…doesn't she get offended by those men gawking at her? …It's just not right!"

"She chose her career, just like we did."

"I know…but still…" Rude's voice was barely a whisper.

"I think you should just tell her how you feel, man. I've never seen you in worse shape." Reno was concerned for his friend. There was another gagging sound as Rude vomited once again. After a while, he got up from the floor with a groan, walked to the sink, and splashed his face with cold water. He was not so dizzy anymore and he could walk in a straight line.

"Let's just get out of here before I embarrass myself even more." He took out the extra pair of his sunglasses from his coat pocket, put them on, and followed Reno out of the bathroom door. Reno was surprised to see a shocked looking Tifa standing very close to the men's room. Rude looked up when Reno halted and upon seeing Tifa, immediately looked down at his shoes. Had Tifa heard their conversation? Rude's mind was already working overtime thinking of ways to avoid Tifa in the future. This _did_ constitute "embarrassing himself more".

Reno almost ran to the bar exit and stepped outside, Rude hot in his tracks. He was almost out of the door when he heard a soft voice speaking his name. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Rude…" Tifa repeated. Rude turned to face her, a blush slowly rising on his cheeks. Nothing made Rude blush like Tifa Lockheart did. Tifa stepped closer to Rude. His heart rate spiked and his hands started to sweat.

Suddenly, the door banged open and Cloud barged in. "Tifa! I'm back!" he yelled. "Oh…uh…" Cloud scratched the back of his yellow head in discomfort.

"I was just leaving," Rude said as he made his way to the exit. He had never been so mortified in his entire life.

"Good night, Rude!" Tifa said and Rude turned around for a split second to see Tifa smiling a beautiful, special sort of smile. Rude turned around, and grinning from ear to ear stepped out into the crisp city air. He wouldn't have to avoid Tifa Lockheart after all.

* * *

**Author's note:** In case you were wondering, this takes place before the events of Advent Children (About a year after the events of the game).

Thanks so much to those who reviewed! (all two of you lol)


	5. The most overrated holiday

-The most overrated holiday-

It was five 'o clock on a Friday night and Rude of the Turks was unwrapping a package of clean bandages. He thought about the past few months of his life and an unexplained bitterness rushed over him. Ever since Meteor had fallen on Midgar, the Turks had worked hard to care for their boss Rufus Shinra. It had now been a little over two years since the incident and somehow Rufus had so far survived the effects of Geostigma that inhibited his body. Rude sighed as he took the clean bandages to Rufus' bedroom at the Healin Lodge. Rufus was lying on his bed, his face a mask of horror and pain. Rude watched helplessly as Rufus struggled to recover from the episode. Rude did not know what Rufus witnessed when he had these strange episodes (for Rude did not have another word to describe them) and felt personally guilty that he could no nothing to help his boss.

"Oh, you have brought the new bandages that I asked for." Rufus sat up on his bed and looked at Rude in appreciation. He stretched his arm out and Rude handed him the bandages. "Thank you." Rude let the man try for a few minutes before proceeding to help him wrap a bandage around his arm. "Much appreciated," the blond man murmured. Rude nodded in acknowledgement. Rufus groaned as he shifted himself from the bed onto his wheelchair. Rude handed Rufus a white cloak and Rufus immediately put it on. He hated the hideous scars on his forehead and could not bear the thought of anyone else but his obedient Turks seeing them.

"I will be visiting my father's grave tomorrow afternoon, and tonight I wish to spend some time alone. You may have the rest of the weekend off." Rufus said as he wheeled himself out of the bedroom. "I'm sure you must want to spend some time off. Maybe visit your family?" He called from the hallway.

Rude said a hasty "Yes, sir" as he joined Rufus in the hallway.

"Good night, Rude," Rufus called.

Rude nodded his acknowledgement. He was never a particularly loquacious individual. The only person he ever spoke more than a few words to was his best friend Reno. Even Reno found it hard at times to get Rude to open up, a fact that Rude blissfully ignored. Rude was never very fond of weekends. The fact that most of weekends were spent in the company of only himself left something in him to be desired. Rude liked the days when he spent at work as it gave him a chance to interact daily with individuals he had known for years. If anything, Reno kept the job as lively as possible with his upbeat attitude. Weekends usually found the Turk deserted at work, and Rufus was not particularly the most interesting company. Rude may be shy around other people, but at work he was known to be quite entertaining, both in speech and actions. He inwardly groaned as he remembered that he had promised his parents he would visit them this particular weekend. Rude loved his parents, but every time he would make a visit to their home in Kalm, the end result would be the same. His mother would continuously pester him about his work, and how it kept him from settling down with what she called a "nice girl". His father was equally amused by Rude's lack of emotions about women that he would tease him about being "married to his job" and "spending his time babysitting Rufus ShinRa". The Turk was not very pleased to have his professional life reduced to such lows by his parents. He shook his head of the bitter thoughts as he walked into the empty parking lot.

A few minutes later, Rude was seated in his black ShinRa-embellished car headed towards his Midgar apartment. In actuality, Rude was genuinely pleased that he would be seeing his parents, as it had been a long while since he had last visited them. He was even willing to ignore their snaky comments about him not having a girlfriend at the age of twenty-six. He inwardly groaned at that last thought. It was not as if he was afraid of meeting women. He had been reluctant to form any close romantic bonds with anyone ever since the blunt ending of his last relationship. He had been fooled into falling in love with a woman who eventually deserted him; left his life without a trace…Rude shook his head vigorously. He tried hard to forget that chapter in his life and did not take pleasure in recalling it. He was never the reminisce-about-my-tragic-past type of man, and maintained a stoic front with much content. He also did not like to remind himself that despite his resolve not to from deep attachments to women, he often found himself fantasizing about one particular female. And what a woman she was…Rude shook his head once more and instead diverted his thoughts to what else he would need to pack for his visit. He soon reached his apartment and started to do some final packing. He was in the midst of putting clothes into a small suitcase when his phone rang. Rude ignored incessant ringing as he did not like being disturbed when he was in the middle of a task.

There was a click as the call transferred to the answering machine. "Rude? If you're there pick up. There has been a change of plans." His mother's voice boomed over the phone. Rude jumped to pick up the phone.

"Hello, mother?"

"Rude! Sweetheart. I'm afraid there has been a change of plans."

"Yes?"

"Your father and I have decided to visit my mother this weekend. We weren't sure whether you would be coming."

"Oh." He was only a bit disappointed, "that's fine."

"Well now you can spend time with friends. Maybe even with a girlfriend, eh?" He could almost hear his mother wiggling her eyebrows.

Rude groaned. His mother's hints for him to settle down were unsettling to say the least. "Sure. You two have a good time." He was not to be daunted into talking about his personal life to his mother.

His mother gave a low chuckle, "we will. Must go pack. Goodbye from the both of us, son." With that, she hung up. Rude sighed. Now what? Rude recalled Reno mentioning a "hot" date he had tonight and the apartment the two Turks shared was lying empty. Rude did not fancy spending Friday night alone in his apartment. His boredom was threatening to reach a new level and he could not think of anywhere he could go. Nevertheless, he soon found himself driving around the city in his fancy Shinra car. He drove aimlessly for about an hour when at last he found himself in a familiar neighborhood. It was around seven 'o clock and the streets were deserted. He parked his car right in front of the place where the orphans lived. He watched as a swaying man came out of the bar. So the Seventh Heaven was open. He got out of the car and stood looking at the building for a long time. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly walked towards the bar.

'Might as well go in.' He thought as he stepped inside. Anyway, the Turks were working with AVALANCHE now that both were under the same threat. As Rude made his way towards an empty bar stool, he noticed that there was only one other costumer – a gruff looking man who seemed he would pass out at any moment – and Tifa was nowhere to be seen. Rude assumed someone else must be tending the bar when Tifa stepped out from the kitchen.

"Oh!" she looked at him in surprise, "Hello, Mr. Rude, what can I do for you?" becoming all business once she got over her shock. She was intrigued as to what the Turk was doing at her bar alone on this night.

After a long pause, Rude replied, "I noticed you were open." he nodded.

"Right…can I get you anything to drink?"

"………water?" Rude blurted the first thing that came in his head. He had not expected Tifa to surprise him this way. Shy as ever, he suddenly found the floor a very interesting spectacle.

"Water?" Tifa had a hint of amusement in her voice. Rude nodded, not trusting his mouth to say another word. Tifa suppressed a chuckle and started to pour his drink. She wondered how man was so shy when his involved working with new people on a daily basis.

Rude's face was flushed. '_Water? _I came to a bar to drink _water?_' he mentally scolded himself as he cleared his throat and sat down on a stool facing the bar table. He could imagine Reno laughing at his lack of smoothness at the situation. He watched Tifa as she poured a glass of water, black hair catching the light. He wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers those strands. Rude shook away this reverie as Tifa handed him a tall glass of ice water.

"I see you are the only costumer left." She nodded towards the now empty table. "Do you mind if I close?"

Rude shook his head and Tifa went to lock the bar. "I'll be departing soon," he said to her back. The time he had spent staring at Tifa, Rude had not even noticed that the other man had left.

"You don't have to. I just wanted to close earlier. You can stay" She turned around. "We are working on the same side. I guess that makes us comrades." She finished and proceeded to wipe the tables.

Rude was not feeling very thirsty, but he nevertheless sipped his water. He intended to get out of there as soon as he was finished, and thus took his time savoring every sip. After a few minutes, Tifa returned to the counter and asked, "so where's you usual partner?" at which Rude gave her an inquisitive look. "I mean Reno. This has to be the first time I've seen you without him."

Rude gave a shrug and replied, "He had a date."

"Right. Figures, it is Valentine's Day after all." Tifa said this with a hint of bitterness in her voice. Rude looked up at her to see her almost angry expression.

Rude did not care for this day, as it brought back memories better left untouched. "…Well, I think this "holiday" is highly overrated. Just another excuse to receive gifts." He looked down once again.

Tifa looked at him, surprise etched on every inch of her face. This was the first time she had heard Rude utter more than a few words, much less a sentiment. She figured he was more talkative once somebody struck a conversation with him.

Rude looked up to see Tifa gazing at him, and suddenly looked at his glass again.

"You know what though?" She said after a while, "you're completely right." She grabbed a glass and filled it halfway with wine. She sat down opposite Rude, lost in thought. There was a long pause in which both Turk and barmaid sipped their drinks.

"Where's Cloud?" Rude asked suddenly.

"Oh. Cloud…" Tifa hesitated for a moment. She looked up at Rude. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure. I have an idea where he could be, but I'm just not sure." She let out a long sigh.

"Where?"

"…He's probably at the church. He's practically started living there. I don't even see him anymore. It's like…" She looked down and sighed once more before continuing, "It's like he's not even a part of my life anymore."

"Oh." Rude looked down at his now empty mug. He wondered why the ex-mercenary would be so stupid as to let a woman like Tifa Lockheart go.

"Yes, I know. It sounds like I'm being somewhat overbearing. It's not like we're a real family."

"But you live together, I believe? With some children, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't make it official. You know, I thought things would be so different after we defeated Sephiroth. I thought we would all be…happy"

"You're not?" Rude was surprised to hear of this new development.

"Well…I am…no, I guess not so much...it just…it feels as if Cloud's chosen us over a memory." Tifa blushed as she realized she had revealed too much. "Sorry..."

"The ancient?" Rude said at the same time Tifa voiced her apology. "The one who…who was killed?" He continued after a pause.

"Aeris, yes. Don't get me wrong. I miss her more than I can say, but what Cloud's doing…he's so ..._obsessed_...he's given up on his relationships because he feels responsible for her death" She sighed once more and went to fill her now-empty glass with more wine.

"…" Rude scratched the back of his head as he searched for the right words to say. "…Maybe he needs time."

Tifa looked into Rude's sunglass-covered eyes. She considered him for what felt to Rude like hours. He felt a slight discomfort under her gaze, but was astonished that he had had an entire conversation with Tifa so easily. He was never usually so outgoing.

"Don't those shades give you trouble in the dark?" Tifa's voice broke into Rude's thoughts.

"…Not really" he replied but he nevertheless took off his trademark sunglasses and put them on the counter.

"He has eyes!" Tifa giggled. She gazed at his eyes for a moment. They were hazel in color with a hint of blue revealing the mark of a ShinRa employee. Rude felt uncomfortable under that gaze and put his glasses back on. He was trying to ignore the warm feeling he had gotten by hearing that laugh. He noticed at that moment that her second glass of wine was now empty. Rude was about voice this fact when Tifa said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Rude nodded rather reluctantly.

"Why do you wear those sunglasses all the time? Is it to put on a daunting Turk air, or is it something else?"

Rude did not know how to answer this question. He had never thought about why he wore sunglasses. He recalled one time Reno joking that he could scare away a SOLDIER with his intimidating persona. Rude had laughed it off at that time, but when he thought about it, he supposed he _was_ a bit intimidating. But for his job, this was a great asset. He could usually get information off of people by a mere flexing of his fingers or by putting on his combat gloves in front of them. This intimidating air, however, also had its repercussions. For instance, most people were often hesitant to strike conversation with Rude, preferring to talk to Reno instead. Rude guessed this was also because of the fact that he was a tad antisocial. However, he was not too bothered with these facts, and he was completely content with socializing with a few people as possible.

"Okay, don't answer." Tifa said, grinning. "But answer this. Why is it that you're here all alone on a – never mind that it's Valentine's Day – on a Friday night?

This was another question Rude was unable to answer. What would he tell her? He had ended up here after driving around aimlessly for hours? That it wasn't really the drinks that attracted him to the Seventh Heaven? He was alone and couldn't think of anywhere else to go? Or should he tell her that this was the only place he could ever think of wanting to spend on a lonely Friday night? He shook his head once more. "I should get going." He cleared his throat and got up from his stool to leave.

"Good night, Tifa," he called as he reached the door. He turned to see her face and stopped in his tracks. She had sadness on her face and loneliness in her eyes that Rude could relate to. Guilt suddenly overcame him and he murmured, "I...I don't have to..."

"That would be nice," she whispered. Rude could tell Tifa needed somebody to talk to at the moment. He walked back and sat down on the same stool he had previously occupied. Tifa started pouring him another glass of water but Rude stopped her just in time.

"I think I could also go for a glass of wine." His lips had a slight twitch. Tifa laughed and poured him some wine. She sat down opposite Rude and handed him his glass. She did not pour herself another glass. Being a barmaid for as long as she had been, Tifa knew when some alcohol was too much.

"You still didn't answer my question about your sunglasses, you know." She said, smiling.

Rude full out grinned. He might not have "taken her out on a date" exactly, but Rude felt as if he had made a special kind of friendship with Tifa Lockheart. And that was enough for him…for now.

* * *

**Author's note:** I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I liked writing it. Please review. Oh, and if Tifa seems a little OOC there in the middle, well my only excuse is that she was a little buzzed on two glasses of wine. Other than that, I believe everything is in order. And I have to admit; I'm a sucker for clichéd and sappy endings. Hope you enjoyed! Now please leave a review so I may know how I did. Thanks. 


End file.
